Working as a Nurse in Germany – 5 Great Tips to Get Started

Are you a certified healthcare nurse and are interested in working as a nurse in Germany? Working as a nurse is one of the noblest and self-sacrificing professions you can pursue. It’s also a very stable and prospective career in which you can specialize in a variety of niches within the healthcare industry.

Working as a nurse in Germany is a very prospective option for certified nurses looking for work abroad. According to The Global Economy report from 2019, there were 13.95 nurses employed in Germany per 1000 people. Comparatively, in the same period, there were 8.31 nurses employed in 27 countries worldwide per 1000 people in 2019. This means that the German healthcare is not only well-developed and welcoming of foreign nurses but also in constant dynamic growth.

Hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and clinics in Germany are continuously on the lookout for professional staff to fill their ranks and contribute to their institutions with their skillsets. But how do you get from where you are and into the process of becoming a nurse in Germany with Jobs OneGlobe? Let’s discuss the details of it in the following segments.

Working as a Nurse in Germany

Moving abroad for a new career opportunity can be scary, whether you’re already in the EU or looking for work in Europe and come from the US, Asia, or elsewhere. Germany is a great choice for employment for several reasons, not the least of which is the state of German healthcare. According to Eurostat data from 2020, the following number of healthcare workers are living and working in Germany:

• Nursing professionals – 917,000
• Midwives – 24,000
• Nursing associate professionals – 179,000
• Healthcare assistants – 404,338

Germany is a country that places great emphasis on its healthcare, however, as with most countries in recent years, it too has come under stress. With the global pandemic disrupting many professional fields around the world, healthcare has come under the most fire out of any industry. Germany is no different, and the country is always on the lookout for any healthcare professional interested in working as a nurse in Germany. There are plenty of great reasons to choose Germany as your country of choice when it comes to working as a nurse in Germany:

• Full employment and social security packages
• Full migration and onboarding support for foreign professionals
• Great holiday and annual benefits for full-time employees
• Ability to improve your German through day-to-day living routine
• Ability to specialize in several healthcare niches based on skills/interests

This doesn’t mean however that their standards of admission of foreign professionals are any lower than it was before. There are certain processes you’ll have to go through to qualify as a viable candidate to work in one of Germany’s many modern hospitals. Here’s how you can improve your odds at working as a nurse in Germany if you apply for a job with Jobs OneGlobe.

Guidelines on How to Start Working as a Nurse in Germany

1. Start Learning the German Language

The foremost requirement you’ll face as someone who wants to work in Germany is to learn the German language and acquire official certification for it. According to Deutchland.de, 15.4 million people are learning German as a foreign language worldwide, with over 100 million people speaking German around the globe.

The German language may be daunting to learn for a foreigner but it is in no way impossible to overcome this obstacle. Once you start living and working in Germany, your fluency in German will only improve with each day. To start, you can check out OneGlobe Language Learning and Mondly to start learning German in your spare time. However, to land a job as a nurse in Germany, you’ll have to acquire A2/B1 level or higher certification in the German language.

2. Collect your Degrees, Certificates, and References

To work as a nurse in Germany, you’ll have to prove that you’ve attained the required level of formal education necessary for working in Germany’s healthcare. Health institutions commonly ask for Bachelor’s degrees or higher in healthcare-related fields, so make sure that you’re eligible for working in Germany from that standpoint. College and community college (3-year program) degrees won’t be valid for full-time employment as a nurse in Germany.

If you’ve decided to start your career in Germany, collect your healthcare degrees, as well as any additional certificates and references from past employment. If you have experience in working in healthcare institutions, this will be a major plus on your part but it is not mandatory. German healthcare differs from that found in other countries and you’ll need to learn how to work as a nurse effectively from the ground up again.

3. Update your CV with Up-to-Date Information

Whether you’ve recently graduated or have been working as a nurse for several years, the importance of a good CV cannot be overstated. Before you apply for work as a nurse in Germany, go over your CV and update it as necessary. Check your contact details and ensure that your email, phone, and social media handles are valid to make reaching you easier for employers.

Write new information about your recent personal development and professional employment into the CV. The more info you provide prospective healthcare clinics in Germany, the higher your odds will be at landing the position you want. Do keep in mind that working as a nurse in Germany will require you to be truthful with your CV data. Otherwise, you may run into issues with potential employment prospects.

4. Consider Translating your Documentation into German in Advance

Depending on the language your original documents were issued in, you may run into issues when trying to start working as a nurse in Germany. Working as a nurse in Germany will require you to present your papers to the healthcare institution in the German language due to legal requirements.

This means you should have your documents (ID, passport, degrees, etc.) translated by a professional, preferably an official court-appointed translator. Sending in your documents without translating them and hoping that your employers speak Spanish, French, Greek, or other languages isn’t ideal. To show common courtesy and improve your odds at landing the position, translate your documents into German in advance.

5. Apply for Healthcare Nurse Positions on Jobs OneGlobe

After you’ve prepared your paperwork and have made the decision to start working in Germany as a nurse, apply for it on Jobs OneGlobe. All you need to do is register with Jobs OneGlobe and start applying for job positions. Once you register an account on Jobs OneGlobe, you can use our professional CV builder to create your own CV on our platform. This will enable you to apply for job listings faster and allow employers to find you and hire you through Jobs OneGlobe.

The process of applying and being interviewed for a job to start working as a nurse in Germany is smooth and painless. Moreover, you will have access to onboarding support throughout your application process to ensure an easy transition from your country to Germany.

Starting your Career and Working as a Nurse in Germany

Working and living in Germany is no small feat, and you should be proud of yourself for taking the first step in the process of changing your life on a fundamental level. Check out the healthcare nurse job listings available on Jobs OneGlobe, create an account on the platform, and apply for work today. If you’re ready to move abroad as a healthcare nurse and like the prospects of living and working in Germany – don’t hesitate.

Your personal and professional development will be on an upward spiral once you start working as a nurse in Germany whether you’re already experienced or only starting as a young nurse. The German healthcare system will ensure that you’re taken care of, and your colleagues will help you acclimate to your new life of working as a nurse in Germany every step of the way. All you have to do is take that first crucial step.